Escaping the Light
by Rebellious Redhead 13
Summary: The next chapter to Hidden in the Dark. The stability of Shinra and the world is tested when a special race of humans begin the fight to find the cure to their tragic disease. The war for answers is nearing. Katherine and her friends must find the answers they need before their entire race is destroyed, but difficulties rise when past memories being to delay their task.
1. Chapter 1

Prolog

The Corrupt...

That was the name people had chosen to given us. The people who suffered from this disease. Being able to wield such extraordinary power and strength was what some used to refer to as a blessing. There are few people in the world that are chosen for great things, but not without consequence and loss. Our power is far beyond what regular humans could produce, but the consequence always lead to pain and suffering and agony. This was the side effect to what we now refer to as Darkness. People no long think it a blessing, but a curse. Not a gift, but poison.

Not person, but monster...

Much like how the Lifestream runs though our planet and provides life, chemicals run though our bodies. Chemicals the enhance everything about us. Our strengths, our senses, and our emotions. Emotion is one of the key elements in being able to access and trigger our powers. This is how we know the chemicals run even further then just our skin or our blood, but through our very souls. However, controlling the access of ones powers is difficult, since it also enhances our emotion, it makes them harder to control. Which in the end, leaves us unpredictable to others and ourselves.

Every time we tap into that energy and power coursing through us it weakens us. It exposes us and leaves us vulnerable for the chemicals and disease are always hungering. There is never enough, and once it finds a weakness it devours it and takes control. Which is of course means if you don't control it, your powers, your emotions, it devours you. You loose everything to it. Your entire mind is overrun by this hostile chemical that only wants to infect more.

In the end, once you lose your mind, you become a Rouge. A murderous being that dances across the border of insanity right over the edge. They thirst for blood and cut down anything in its path.

However, that is one of the more gruesome endings. Another likely choice is that your body becomes to weak to be a host and you end up dying a very painful death.

Most corrupt people are born with it. Now lets discuss a very special scenario involving what was believed to be controlled chemicals and evolving them. A series of scientific experiments conducted by a company called Shinra who after discovering the capabilities of corrupt people wanted to turn it into a weapon. Project X, representing the cross between chemicals and life was created. The only one of its projects being of natural birth. Both parents already skilled and professional killers, passing down the traits to their surviving daughter.

After three months of work the Project was shut down and all subjects were disposed of, except for test subject X. Shinra, learning of this ordered the experiments and any who defied them dead. Shannon and Michel, the parents of X were executed, but X was still further researched on and named a success. They trained her, gave her the name her parents had wanted. X with her progress planning to grow was becoming one of Shinra's most successful and deadliest weapons in creation, until...

* * *

I could hear the sirens blaring behind me as I made my way down the roof onto the ground below. I hadn't expected to trigger them so soon but I had no choice now but to run. I could hear shouting in the distance, I could see shadows in the dark street I ran down, knowing that any soldiers they sent after me would need night vision or infrared to be able to spot me, but I had already counted on that happening.

I zip up my jacket all the way, pulling the hood over my head. This jacket was special designed to make me invisible to thermal. One of the many advantages to being raised inside the Shinra building for thirteen years was I knew all of their tricks. They trained and taught me how to use everything I needed for my escape, not suspecting I would ever be clever enough to use my knowledge for this.

_They thought I was obedient and trained. They thought I would be a lap dog._

I couldn't help but snicker to myself at the thought. How amazing it was I was able to defy them all this time and still be able to escape under their nose. My sensitive hearing caught more shouting and marching coming my way. I bolted down the street, staying in the shadows the best I could until I reached the more crowded parts of the city.

I knew every turn in these streets. I was forced to study them and know my surroundings if I ever had a mission in the city I was to be prepared. I knew ever escape route soldiers didn't. I could dodge between alleys and streets unseen and unheard. I could out match a soldier if I needed to and I didn't even have a weapon. I could run faster, jump higher, I could last all night if I wanted to.

I could see a flash of light far over my head and retreat under the shadows again, the sound of chopper blades slicing through the air soon to follow. I wait, relaxing my body and slowing down my breath until it passed. By now the soldiers would be in front of me, trying to block my escape and trap me. I knew every trick in the book.

I begin to head towards the end of the plate, instead of the next sector like they would be expecting. From their, I could make it to the main piping system, which could lead me to the next sector and still be right beneath them. By the time I began nearing the main piping system my breath was like ice and it burned the back of my throat every time I inhaled but still it was a rush. It was a feeling of freedom that I had so craved. I could see the building in the distance. It was so close. My one step closer to freedom was so close.

I hear the shot before the bullet actually hit me, but by that time I was too late. It hit me in the back and sent me crumbling to the ground. Rubber bullets with enough power behind them to break a normal persons back. I groan as I try to lift my self up, the shooter already making their way towards me. "I trained you better than I thought," I recognized the voice right away. Terry, my head trainer. The only person I could actually look up to and practically raised me. I swallowed the will to cry, instead focusing off of the pain and instead on trying to lift myself up. "You knew I would be able to see through your little plot. You're much to smart to walk right into the others aren't you,"

"Burn in hell," I hiss at him.

His boot connected with my ribcage before I could say anything else. Blood spattered out of my mouth and I gave up my efforts to stand. "Is that all you could think to say!" he shouts at me kicking me again. "I thought I trained you better than that! Instead you are just going to give up!"

He kicks me again, this time I feel the crack of bone. "Enough!" I cry out.

He snatches the front of my jacket, tearing it off. "You thought you could hide!" He tosses my body at the ground like a rag doll. "You though you could play this game better than the people who taught it to you!" He kicks me again, knocking the wind out of my lungs. "You thought that you could have your freedom?"

"No," I say at last coughing up more blood that dripped down my chin. I look up to meet his eyes, keeping my expression blank and unreadable."You always said that you can never just have anything unless you are willing to fight and prove yourself for it. I am planning on proving everything I got."

Before he could deliver another punishing blow I sent a bullet flying at his chest from the pistol I swiped when he picked me up. It allowed me to get close enough to take it. He falls backwards but he continues to breathe, a bullet proof vest visible through the hole blown through his uniform. I could hear the marching of soldiers and had no choice but to abandon my escape route, heading for the edge of the plate instead.

I skid to a stop at the sight of more soldiers blocking my path, quickly dodging into an alley as gun fire filled the street. They were everywhere, closing in at all sides. There is only one chance I'm getting out of here, and it may not be with my life. I finally reach the large set of panels, ones that would take me right to the Slums free falling. Apart of me wished that if I were going to go that the fall would just end up killing me. It would be better than having to go back to Shinra and take whatever fate they had planned for me.

"We gave you everything," Terry's voice calls as he approaches with a set of soldiers, guns pointed at me. "Shelter, food, a home, all the knowledge and weaponry you could imagine. You had great things going for you, but you throw it all away,"

"You kept me prisoner!" I shout at him taking a step back towards the panels.

"This is your last chance. You've proven yourself very successful Katherine. If you come back now, they will keep you alive."

"I'd much rather die!" I spat at him.

"Very well," Terry sighs nodding to his group of soldiers that raised their guns again and fired.

I could feel each of the three bullets that hit me tear through my body before I fell backwards off the ledge above the panels. The impact of me hitting them sent them loose. Before I knew it I was free falling, watching my streams of blood whip off my body into the air. A bright light shines down at me which I recognized as the search chopper.

I close my eyes for a moment, not feeling any of the pain. Just the rush of wind, the chill against my skin turning to warmth. If I was going to die, it was going to be free. I hit the ground sooner than I had expected, but I had already disappeared.

The next time I had awoken I was in the arms of a boy, bluish, greenish, silver eyes look down at me with worry. He reaches down to me, cradling my face. His lips move but my ears rang too much to hear what he said. He gave me a small shake, and my eyes slide shut again until he shook me again. My eyes shot open, my vision no longer blurry and my ears no longer ringing. He stares at me surprised for a moment before repeating his question.

"Can you hear me?" The movement caused me to cringe but I managed to nod my head. "Good, now listen, I'm going to help you, but you have to answer these questions."

I nod again, coughing up blood which he wipes away with his sleeve. "Who are you?" I say my voice dry and rasp.

"Hey, I'm asking the questions remember. Where did you come from?"

"The Shinra building," I say and he once again looks surprised. "Please, please don't take me back there," I beg tears welling up in my eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you," he says scoping me up in his arms. "Besides, people like us have to stick together,"

I hadn't understood what he meant until I saw a glint of light in his eye that had a strange color. "Who are you?"

This time he smiles down at me, his eyes not just flashing with light, but glowing. "Lyden," he says his smile turning into a wide grin. "A monster, just like you,"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

Sanctuary

I burst awake at the sudden memory that came rushing back to me all at once, making me relive that day. I'm not sure whether I should call it a horrible day, or a blessed one, for even though I nearly died, I had obtained my freedom from Shinra. The room I was in was dark and the light of a single flickering candle was visible in the next. I look under the double bunk I slept on, seeing Dominic curled up under me, and in the bunk across from our Jason and Lyden slept.

As silently as I could manage I slide down to the floor, striding into the next move careful not to let the loose floor boards creek with my steps. I didn't want to wake any of them, they've had a rough time as it is. I reach the kitchen, picking up the candle stick left on the table and walking outside onto the porch where I sat. I could barely see the faint pink glow over the thick trees as dawn approached. Birds called from all around the little village that remained hidden in the heavy masses of forests secluded from the rest of humanity. And for good reason.

The people who live in this small, rundown village called it the Sanctuary. It was one of the few villages scattered across the planet made up entirely of Corrupt. People who have been cast away from their homes because of the brand on their wrist, or the glow of their eyes. People with no where else to turn come here and for the most part live in peace, besides the fact that the plague still takes its toll. They still struggle with having to complete the stages it takes to fully develop their powers or are not strong enough to control the chemicals.

I whip around at the sound of foot steps, staring up at my friend Jason. His almond brown eyes hung heavy as he walked over to where I sat on the steps, sitting down next to me and stretching out his arms. "Good morning," I say smiling at him.

"Those bunks are cramped aren't they," he mumbles cracking his neck to the side.

"It's better than sleeping on the floor or in the dirt isn't it," I say.

He laughs a little, glancing back at the small shack behind us. "Yeah I guess it is," he says looking up into the sky that tinted with light pinks, hues of orange and reds. "Sure is pretty out here isn't it,"

"Yeah," I say taking a deep breath of fresh air. I close my eyes for not a second before I felt an arm sling around my neck and try to pull me down.

"Good morning sleepy heads!" Dominic says in that same happy-go-lucky tone he always has. He hung onto the two of us, grinning like a fool.

"Let me go right now or I'll put you back to sleep!" Jason snaps at him shoving the boy backwards.

Dominic laughs, sticking his head between the two of us, looking up into the sky. "Wow, that sure is something!"

"Do you really want to wake up everyone in the village you goon?" Jason mumbles.

Dominic laughs, eyes widening in surprise when Lyden walked up behind him and grabbed him by the shirt collar, dragging him to his feet. "Too late for that now," he mumbles glaring at Dominic.

"Uh, sorry bro. I didn't mean to," he says hastily.

Lyden rolls his eyes, dropping Dom to the ground again. "What are you guys all doing up so early anyway?" he asks.

Jason shrugs, "An early rise leads to a more productive day doesn't it?"

"I told you that one, shut up," Lyden mumbles a smile ghosting on his lips. He sits down next to me, looking up into the sky, but not saying anything. His mixed eyes studied and stared with precision like they always do.

Some people from the village were already out and stirring. A group of children ran down the road giggling and screaming with laughter. The old woman in the house across from us stood on her porch, tending to the various potted plants that surrounded her house and carried the sweet smell of lilacs and honeysuckle though the whole forest. A small group of boys gathered near the tree line, the older ones doing their best to teach the younger ones how to fight.

"I'm actually going to miss this place," Lyden says at last a few golden rays of sunlight reaching over the thick leaves and tracing his face making his bronze skin glow.

"I thought you always said you weren't the person who liked to settle in small places," I say.

"Yeah, but this place is different. It's soothing almost," he says. "Like this is the place I feel like I belong,"

"Uh-oh, Lyden's getting sentimental again... grab the swords," Dominic laughs ducking when Lyden took a swing for his head.

"Whatever, we have a lot of work to do before we can leave," he says standing up and walking down the steps. He turns around, scanning over our sleepy faces. "Well, if I've never seen a pathetic looking group of soldiers, I have now,"

"It's like six in the morning," Jason mumbles.

"An early rise leads to a more productive day," Lyden scolds. "You all know your jobs, so get to it!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Dominic says bouncing down off of the steps and down the road while me and Jason took our own sweet time walking to the square.

"That kid has too much energy for his age," Jason says pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, he went through all of his stages early. He's pretty lucky." I say.

"I think Lyden needs to train him a little bit better though. I don't want him getting hurt or anything because of his inexperience,"

"Well I was pretty young too you know when Lyden started training me. Only a year older than when we started training Dominic and I turned out just fine," I say nudging him with me elbow lightly.

"Yeah, well you had a few years of experience under your belt for a long time."

"You shouldn't worry so much. He may not be the strongest but he's determined to do whatever it takes to prove himself." I say catching a glimpse of the hyper black haired boy as we approached the square.

"Are you going to be okay going to Midgar on your own?" he asks changing the subject.

"You know I will be. It shouldn't be that difficult. All I need to do is find a place for us to stay. That's it,"

"And try not to die while your at it," Jason mumbles.

"You know I'll be able to handle myself. You don't need to worry about me."

"What are you two ladies babbling about back there!? Hurry up and give us a hand!" Lyden shouts lifting up a crate of supplies out of the truck while Dominic struggled with the other end.

Me and Jason rush towards them, helping to get the crates out of the back of Lyden's truck and into the square. This town often relied on us to bring them food and supplies since they were cut off from the rest of the world. It was one of the many jobs we took and it made us hero's is this little place. The people here seemed to adore us, the children looked up to us like noble warriors, and the people on the outside world called us thieves, but that was something we could live with.

We spent the whole day working around the village while also preparing ourselves for the trip out of here. Dominic of course who wasn't always one for heavy lifting went out and led around his group of admiring children that acted like his fan club, which we all knew he like and it made him feel proud of himself to be looked at by them and be called a hero.

As night began to fall me and Lyden sat up on the roof of the shack we stayed in whenever we were in town and watched the sun set behind the tall trees. "You know your mission right?"

"Of course," I say picking at the cracks in the tin roof to keep my mind occupied.

"Just make sure you are careful out there. There are people out here that you know don't approve of our very existence. Its important that you are prepare to face them,"

"I know Lyden. I'll be safe, I promise," I say.

He holds onto my hand and I lean my head against his shoulder. "I love you sis," he mumbles kissing the top of my head.

"I love you too bro," I say giving him on last hug before standing up and jumping down off the roof and walking into the square where my motorcycle was waiting. A newer Shinra model called Ultima. Dominic runs up to me and hugs me, his eyes watering slightly. "Are you crying Dom?" I ask petting his hair.

"No! Jason hit me in the eye," he mumbles whipping his eyes dry with his sleeve. "I'll miss you sissy,"

"It's only for like a week, not even," I laugh. "I'll see you before you know it,"

"Promise?" he asks.

"I promise,"


	3. Chapter 3

The crunch of gravel under my feet was such a familiar sound as I walked down the road in Sector Seven. Very few of the buildings in my neighborhood survived when the plate had fallen. It hadn't taken me long before I reached the pile of rubble that I used to call my home. The tin roof smashed into the small building, broken glass scattered around the scene and the neon sign nothing more than a mangled piece of metal. I walk up to where the steps used to be, glass crunching into dust like pieces under my boots. A small glint of light caught my eye and I look down at the small brass bell that used to hang above the door. Tears swell up into my eyes but I quickly swipe them away.

Its funny how something so small could mean so much to me. It reminded me of everything. It reminded me of the smell my home carried, a musty sort of scent mixed with a the fragrance of alcohol and fried foods. It reminded me of sneaking out at night with my brother, taking down the bell when we left and then returning it to its place once we had returned. It reminded me of Joe, his mess beard, bald head, and the green tattoos on his arms. How he was always so welcoming to whom ever came to the diner, and his strict policies on keeping piece. How he had adopted me into his home and made me apart of his family without even a second thought, despite what I was.

I tuck the bell away swiftly, knowing Lyden would probably kill me if he saw me so sentimental. I choke down the rest of my emotion and continue on my path. It was so hard to believe that all of that was gone. Every time I think I find something that I care about, that truly makes me happy, it is always ripped away from me. Perhaps this was some sort of cruel punishment. Apparently I was never supposed to be actually happy.

After walking my bike down the crowed roads a ways I found a place that looked welcoming. The sign above the door read Seventh Heaven. I park my bike in the front and walked through the door. The woman behind the counter glanced up and offered a friendly smile as I approached. The place was awful packed, and it was surprisingly very clean for being in the Slums.

I sit down and the woman walks up to me. She had shoulder length dark brown hair and brown eyes. "Is there anything that I can get you?" She asks leaning onto the counter slightly.

"Nothing that you could provide in a bottle," I say with a friendly smile. I glance around briefly at the commotion in the bar before turning my attention back. "I was wondering if you knew of any place around here that provided cheap shelter. I'm afraid I am no longer familiar with the Slums, being gone for so long."

"There is a place down the road that is decent enough," she says pointing to her right. "I don't believe that I've seen you around,"

I laugh lightly, "It's been years. Used to the usual customers?"

"More or less," she says holding her hand out to me which I take. "My name is Tifa Lockheart,"

"Katherine, nice to meet you," I say. I glance over at the man sitting next to me with a beer in his hand. A smirk traces my lips. "Perhaps there is something from the bottle that would help sooth my nerves,"

She laughs setting a glass of caramel colored drink in front of me. I spent some time at the bar, talking with Tifa when she wasn't busy. She seemed t have a skill with conversation because she talked a lot, but I was amused and happy that she would talk to me.

"So, where exactly are you from?" she asks.

"I used to live around sector seven when I was younger," I say leaving out the details of my life previous to that. "I left several years ago and haven't really settled in any particular place. Me and my family do a lot of traveling,"

"Really, how come?" she asks.

"Business purposes you could say," She nods. "What about you? You have a pretty nice place here."

"We used to do a bit of traveling too, but we decided to settle here. I-" Then she froze for a moment, stopping mid sentence and looking towards the door, smiling.

A tall blond man with spiked hair walks over to the bar, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Cloud, you're home early." She says grinning widely.

He glances at me, "Who's this?"

"Katherine," Tifa says. "We've been talking for a while. Anyway, how was your day?"

Cloud looks at me again, only this time he holds his gaze, looking at me grimly. Could he see it? I force my eyes away from him, standing up.

"I should go," I say paying my tab. "Thank you Tifa."

"Come back again soon," Tifa says waving me goodbye as I walked out.

The stars gleamed dimly over the city and the moon hung lazily above my head. I started to walk my bike down the side of the road, knowing the it wasn't worth starting it back up just to walk down the block. There was a large building at the end of the block that looked in good shape, the one Tifa directed me to. I haul my bike up to the curb and walk in. The lobby was dimly lit and it had a musty smell to it. There was obvious water damage on all the walls I could see and the crumbling drywall was visible through the torn parts of the wall paper. The old man behind the counter looked up at me with dark eyes and a scowl.

"Can I help you?"

I walk over to the counter, looking up at the makeshift chandelier that seemed like it was crafted with pieces of scrap metal. "I'm going to need the largest room you have. We'll be staying for at least a month. What's you're price?" I say digging into my pockets and pulling out a wad of cash.

"Five thousand gil," the man says reaching out. Just as I thought he was going to grab his payment he snatched my wrist and pulled up my sleeve, revealing the swirling tribal looking mark on my wrist. The color was a faint red and some would almost mistake it for a tattoo until they saw the glossy look that it had. It looked like shards of crystal under a thin surface, but it was only the illusion the marking projected. Nothing more. His eyes narrow at the marking and he forces my hand away. "I don't serve people like you. Get out." He growls.

I grit my teeth at him, "Is there a problem?"

"I'm not letting some corrupt freaks stay here. Get out!" He shouts.

"Why? All we want is shelter, and we will cause you no trouble. I'll give you any payment you want." I plead giving him the most innocent look I could manage.

He slams his hands against the desk, "I don't want anybody dead! Get out, before I call authorities! Or worse, take matters into my own hands!"

I bite my lip, holding back the urge to slam his face into the counter but instead I just whip around, slamming the door so hard on my way out it shattered the small window next to it and I could hear the metal chandelier crash to the floor behind me. I walk over to the alley next to the building and lean up against the bricks, letting out a frustrated sigh. _Why do people hate us so much?_

I look down at my wrist, at the mark that branded my skin. The symbol that told me what I was. Everybody who has completed the stages and has fully changed into a corrupt have this mark. Every time I use that energy the mark would glow red, just like my eyes. For Lyden both would glow gold. Jason's would glow a dark green and Dominic a bright purple. It was funny to think how much this disease had spread in the few years, and was no longer a rarity to see a few people with this condition.

_Enhancement, Energy, Gift..._

_Poison, Disease, Plague..._

I guess I could almost understand that man's reasoning for hostility towards a person like me. There were many people out there that had no control over this sort of power. If they let their selves become too weak, too venerable to the chemicals, it takes over. These were people called Rogues, and they are a struggle to control. With all that energy fogging up their mind, you can't convince them of anything, and trying to detain or even destroy them is a challenge. Lyden always said that Rogues were pitiful beings, and deserved to be destroyed if not being put out of their misery. _Most Rogues aren't worth the time trying to change back. They have no humanity left. It is a hopeless notion..._

I wished that weren't true. I hoped that there was a way that we could save them. Cure ourselves, and purify our blood so that we could finally escape this torment. Despite everyone's hopes and prayers there was no way out of this. We were never going to escape this life and all we could do is endure it and try to survive with our humanity. Try not to lose our minds and become Rogue or grow too weak to survive the stages.

_If I weren't a Corrupt, would I still be trying to save the people who were? Would I even care anymore, or would I just stare disgusted like all the rest?_

"How did we get into this mess?" I mumble looking up into the sky.

"You ask these questions, but still, it is only you who could provide the answers to yourself." I hear some one mumble back emerging from the shadows. It was a sickly thin boy, about my age, maybe a bit younger. He bared a toothy grin as he approached. I make no movement, studying him for a moment and trying to predict his intentions. "The fly has somehow wound it's way into the spiders little trap. Elegance can be deceiving if one let's their mind wonder for too long."

"So can the appearance of one's prey, so I would keep your distance if you'd like to spin riddles," I say resting my hand on the hilt of my blade just in case I needed it.

"Observance means nothing if you don't know what you're looking for," the guys says inching his way closer until he was only an arms reach. "The prey does not flee?"

"I have no intentions on doing so,"

I hear the slide of metal and draw my blade quickly, managing to counter just in time, knocking the dagger from the man grasp. He backs up slightly, still grinning madly his eyes wide. "Very well done miss!" he laughs. The expression on his face, the sinister laugh, and the look in his eyes could all be described in one word. Insanity... The color in his eyes began to fade away and was replaced with a glassy looking film as his eye sockets turned completely white. "At last, I found someone who could play this game with me!" he says biting onto his lip roughly drawing blood instantly that dripped down his chin as he held back more wails of demonic laughter.

It was clear now that this man wasn't truly a man anymore, but a Rogue. His head twitched slightly from side to side and his skin turned an unhealthy pale shade. No humanity. He draws a second blade, this one was longer, rust lined its surface but I could still see the reflected surface of its edge. He comes at me, thrusting his blade forward which I was able to side step, slashing out at him. He laughs wildly as I graze his arm, barely hitting skin and he took another swing. I deflect his bow but the force knocked me off my balance for an instant. Rogues had so much more power and strength.

"I am so glad I finally found someone like you. Murdering mundanes gets so boring. They don't scream nearly as long!" he says coming at me again. I duck for one shot but then he brought his elbow into the side of my head. That crack could have either been his scrawny elbow against my skull, the ground crack as I collapsed, or my head. I bite my lip, my world blurring due to the tears swelling in my eyes. He leans over holding the tip of his sword under my chin and lifting my head enough to look into his dead eyes. "You're not giving up already, are you? Our fun has just begun,"

I whip up grabbing at his wrist and, keeping the blade away from my face, twisted it out of his hands. "I'm done with childish games."

"Fine then, we'll have to play a different one," he says. He reaches into his back pocket and tosses another dagger to the ground. "Shall we play the way monsters are intended to?"

I toss his sword down and no sooner than I did he grabbed me by my shoulders and threw me into the wall. I fall to the ground after impact stunned me, a deep groan emerging from my lips. I had no time to try and react when he grabbed me by the throat and slammed me to the ground, choking me slowly while still wearing a sinister smile. I struggle trying to claw a kick my way free.

He smirks, biting onto his lip letting more blood gush out between his nasty yellow teeth and land on my face. "You like scratching?" he says dead eyes widening in amusement at another failed attempt to claw them out. I could then feel his dirt crusted nails dig into my flesh, blood oozing out of the crescent shaped cuts on my neck. I manage to shove him back briefly, providing me enough time to snatch the knife on the ground next to me and stab him through the chest. He gasps, looking down at the blade embedded in his skin before he began to laugh again. "You missed by that much," he says holding his fingers barely apart to give me a visual. He still straddled my lap, so I couldn't move. Then again I was almost too shocked to.

He pulls the knife out of his chest, a black fluid clinging to the blade as he did. His white shirt began to dampen and darken as the sludge spilled from the wound. He plunges the knife into my towards my shoulder. I manage to break one hand free, the blade instead making contact with the top if my arm, slicing deeply through my skin. He rips it back mercilessly, slicing another cut on my arm, examining the redness of my blood before running his tongue over it. He smiles again, grasping the blade with both hands and holds it over my heart. I tremble, eyes darting between him and the blade, knowing that he was going to kill me.

"You know, I wasn't planning to end our fun this early, but you just happened to piss me off," he says raising the blade above his head.

I could see the flicker of the blade as it descended downward. The crack of a bullet echoed in my head and the mans dark blood spilled down onto my face when the bullet exited his skull. I shove him away from me and try to wipe the blood out of my eyes. It was thick and had a highly distasteful odor to it that made my stomach lurch. I scanned the alley, searching for the 'cause of death' that had just so conveniently saved my life. I saw a shadowy figure at the entrance to the alley, though I couldn't make out any detail due to the light behind him making it hard for my to see anything but an outline of a burly man.

I rise to my feet, gripping onto my arm as I stumbled towards him. I sway into the wall where I waited for a moment to let the sickness I felt settle. I could smell that putrid sludge on my face that felt like tar now that it thicken even further. The figure walks towards me and I stand straight again, trying to look strong. I lean forward, the figure grapping onto my shoulders before I could fall.

I could feel the thick fabric of his jacket against my face when he leaned me up against his strong shoulder. At last he pulls me back, examining my face, turning my head to the side with one hand and whipping off the sludge. I try to see his eyes, but they were hidden by sunglasses even though the alley was incredibly dark. The thick scent of death hits me again and I finally turn my head and vomit.

I could feel his hand on my back, and the other on my uninjured shoulder keeping me steady. "It's okay," he says in an almost familiar tone. I gasp for air, wiping my mouth with my sleeve, embarrassed that someone had to see me so weak. I felt sick and for some reason scared. I look back at him again, though he looked blurry from the tears that brimmed my eyes. "I never thought I would ever see you again..." the man says. My knees shook uncontrollably and his voice became distant.

He sat me down on the ground for a moment, and slowly but surely my strength began to rebuild and my head began to clear, and I was finally able to recognize his face. "Its good to see you, Rude," I murmur, trying to use the wall to lift myself up again. It took a little effort to do so, but I was able to stand on my own, taking deep breaths as the action helped to deplete my strength once again.

The burly man standing in front of me nods, looking back over to the limp body on the ground at the end of the alley. "Are you alright?" he asks. I glance down at my arm. It throbbed and bleed but it didn't hurt as bad as it should have. I tug at the torn sleeve of my shirt, ripping away the loose fabric and wrapping it tightly around the wound to slow the bleeding until I could get proper medical attention.

"I'll be fine," I say struggling to tie a knot with only one hand. Rude takes the two loose pieces of fabric and ties it for me, doing his best not to agitate the wound and cause too much pain. "Thank you,"

Rude, of course not being the most talkative, nods. I smile, but suddenly the smile fades as I go into a coughing fit. I turn away, blood spewing from my mouth as I gagged on it in the back of my throat. Rude holds onto my shoulders as I coughed up blood, tears swelling in my eyes again at the sudden pain in my chest. I could hardly breathe, the air refusing to enter my lungs without a sickening gurgle in my throat. I knew that I was in trouble and that the Rouge had done much more damage to me than what was visible.

I finally manage to catch my breath, leaning against the wall, trying not to move in the fear of causing more pain or further injure myself internally. I glance back to Rude, who still stood their silent and unmoving. "I'll be fine from now on. Thank you for your help. I'll have to be sure to repay you as soon as I can."

"I can't just leave you here like this,"

"Well then you're just going to watch? I'll be fine," I say.

He shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Do you at least have a place to stay?"

I laugh dryly, "I've been working on it,"

I could see the corners of his mouth twitch, as if almost forming a smile. "Fine, you're coming with me,"

"Like hell I am," I say trying to hold back coughing again, but yet again failing, covering my mouth and turning away.

"You're not going to be able to do anything on your own while you're like that," He says, making a very good point. "You can stop being stubborn,"

I cast him a warning glare before finally giving up, "Fine then, but just so you know, I..." I trail off suddenly, my mind fogging over and my vision turning black. I stumble over, but pass out before I even hit the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

I burst out of my sleep, sweat coating my face, oxygen refusing to enter my lungs for one panicked moment before I calmed down. I look over to the side of the bed, the light of my phone was on and the "New Message" alert was blinking. I pick it up and flip it open, reading the message that nearly caused me a panic attack in the middle of the night.

_Lyden__:_

_Meet me by Joe's in an hour._

Relieved, I flip the phone shut, turning on the light and getting dress. Reno was still asleep on the couch when I emerged from the spare bedroom, because apparently he was just too lazy to go home for the night, unlike Elena who was kind enough to at least try and cook dinner when she heard that the two had an old friend staying with them. I sneak past him, casting a glance over my shoulder to make sure I hadn't disturbed him. I'm not sure what caused me to stop for a moment but I did. Perhaps it was a trick of the light that just seemed catch his face perfectly and cause me to stare. His skin glowing pale under the blue tinted light coming from the window and it made him seem so innocent. A small smile still clung to his lips and his eyes shut gently shielding those deep green and blue orbs. _Just like I remembered..._

I snap to realization and shake the unwanted memories out of my head. Now was not the time. There would never be a time for those thoughts ever to be welcomed again. I get out of the apartment and storm down the hallways, pissed that I could even think such a thing without even realizing it. Was I really that weak?

My bike was conveniently parked outside of the building and awaiting me. I was at Joe's in a little less than half an hour, getting from the top of the Sectors to the bottom took a little bit more time than what I was used to. Of course my brother was always one to be early was waiting for me to arrive, sitting in the back of his pickup with Jason and Dominic. "I'm assuming you found a place, right?" he says as I shut off my bike and walk over to them. His eyes rise off of the small dagger he spun on the tip of his finger, a drop of blood smeared onto his finger tip catching my eye and he lowered his hand and sheathed the blade again, hopping down off of the tail gat and approaching me.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't. I was... temporarily disabled." I say grasping onto my arm where the bandages began. He eyes my arm wearily, gently taking hold of it and rolling up the sleeve past my elbow. "It was a Rouge. His blood was on the blade that cut me, and I haven't been able to heal."

"You should have called me as soon as you got this," he says walking me over to the truck and sitting me down next to Jason as he unwound the bandages. His eyes widen a fraction at the discolored skin surrounding the wound. "Does it hurt?"

"Excruciatingly," I say yelping when he began touching it and further examining the depth. He nods over to Dominic who in a heartbeat dove for the cab of the truck pulling out a large steel case and setting it down next to me. "Can you fix it?"

"Yeah, of course I can," he says. He retrieves a fairly large needle, taking a specific dose of medicine and certain chemicals he kept with him at all times and injecting it into my skin surrounding the cut.

After learning more about this disease, Lyden began devoting most of his time to it. He knew more about it than any of us due to his extensive research with the Shinra files that he "acquired" on his journeys. He knew what sort of chemicals it took to make us and he knew what it took to heal us. However, his number one reason for filling his head with so much knowledge was so that someday he could find a way to rid us of this curse. All of us knew that he has seen too much pain and suffering to stomach due to this condition.

I grip onto Jason's arm as he injected the last dose, the cut still stinging but the color beginning to return. Jason rubs the top of my head smiling slightly. "There all better,"

"Thanks for all your help," I hiss at him playfully, causing him to laugh a bit.

"What else happened when you fought it? The Rouge that is?" Dominic says packing up the medic kit and tucking it back behind the seats.

"A couple broken ribs," I say.

"That's why it was probably as bad as it was. You already exhausted your energy on healing your broken bones instead of the more shallow wound," Jason says wrapping my arm back up.

"Well, that's what I was told anyway. I'm not sure if they were really broken. Probably just cracked since they healed over night,"

Jason narrows his eyes at me. "Who told you?"

I bite my lip, hoping I wouldn't receive that reaction. "Yeah, I ran into some old friends,"

"Who?"

"It's nothing really I just-"

"Katherine who was it?" Jason says now almost glaring at me.

"Reno," I say the words not leaving my lips as smoothly as I wished they would. In fact I could even hear the uneasy stutter in my voice. Lyden looks at me for a moment, a slight bit of sympathy in his eyes before turning them away.

"That boy is alive still," he mumbles.

"He's not a boy!" I snap suddenly, surprising myself at how quickly my temper got away from me. "He's a Turk. Rude saved my life and they both took care of me while I recovered."

Lyden sighs, sitting down next to me, "Listen Katherine, I know that you two cared for each other a long time ago,"

"Its not like that," I interrupt him. "Its nothing like that anymore."

"Well, you just need to stay away from them. You know what kind of trouble you could get into. You're not safe giving your name out to anyone. According to these people we are thieves, murderers, monsters. We are wanted by people, and you know that most of the things we do would probably get us executed without a second thought. You need to think about that." Lyden says setting a hand down on my shoulder.

"I know," I say under my breath gaze drifting to the ground. He holds my hand, lifting my sleeve enough to expose the crystalline mark on my wrist.

"I just want to protect you. You are the only family I have left." He says. He laughs under his breath, "Hell, it scares me. Every time you leave my sight I wonder and worry, but you never fail me. You are strong Katherine. You are a survivor."

"I'm sorry about not finding us a place," I say looking back down ashamed.

"It's alright, we think we might have one. Its a top secret place!" Dominic says bouncing into the passenger seat while Jason walked around and started the truck.

"If you keep blabbing about it maybe Rufus Shinra himself will be able to hear you," he mumbles.

Me and Lyden watch the dirt and gravel fly as Jason drives. "Where are we going?" I ask scooting back to make sure I didn't fall off the tailgate.

"Sector Three,"

"The top of the Sector!?" I ask surprised.

Lyden grins and nods, "A buddy of mine says that there used to be a bit of underground rebellion going on up there a few years ago and they found this place that's going to be perfect for us,"

"Which buddy?"

"Blain," he mumbles.

"You're kidding me!" I nearly shout blood already boiling just at the thought of having to live with that pervy little bastard for more than a minute.

"Relax, he's not staying with us. He's just letting us rule the place while we are in the city,"

"Good," I say hanging on for dear life when Jason hit a bump in the road. "You trying to kill us or something?" I shout into the cab hearing his sinister laugh follow my words.

"Better hang on a little tighter, sweetheart," he shouts back.

I look though the windshield catching sight of the pillar ahead that would take us to the top plate. "What about the security checks?" I ask. I had already thought about the security checks when I first came down, taking an alternate route to make it past them down to the slums.

"Ever since the Shinra building fell, they've been pretty lenient about it. They don't do the checks anymore,"

"Why not?"

"Well since the Meteor incident, things on the top of the plate haven't been much better from the bottom. And now, things down there are actually starting to improve, despite the lack of sunlight."

"What did happen to the rest of Shinra?" I ask.

"Well with Rufus still being in charge the leadership hasn't changed, but they have been staging a rebuild for the last couple of months. Not just the old building either, I mean everything. Reactors are being shut down, towns are being restored, all that kinds of stuff."

"So are they still the enemy?" I ask looking at my brother sincerely.

He sighs looking up the at the pillars that connected us to the world above. "Despite their efforts, they will never be able to atone for what they have done. They are not the enemy, but they will never be the ally. We remain indifferent."

"Won't are plans make them the enemy again though?" I ask.

"Only if they wish for this to end bloody,"


End file.
